York scientist shines a light on solar fuels at Royal Society exhibition

Posted on 2 July 2013

A researcher at the University of York is to showcase her work on solar fuels at a public exhibition hosted by The Royal Society in London this week.

Dr Alison Parkin, Anniversary Research Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at York, joined forces with scientists from the University of Oxford to organise an exhibit for The Royal Society’s annual Summer Science Exhibition. The exhibit shows how scientists are studying and copying nature to achieve artificial photosynthesis, the process which converts solar energy into fuel.

It will also demonstrate how molecules can capture different colours of light and how this light energy can be used to convert water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Dr Parkin said: “The sun provides a constant source of energy that in one hour could meet the current annual global energy demand, but storing the energy is fraught with difficulties.

“The exhibit will demonstrate how the principles of photosynthesis could be artificially exploited and radically improved to provide a clean energy resource to address our growing energy demands and limit global warming.”

The Summer Science Exhibition is an annual display of cutting-edge science and technology in the UK. It runs from Tuesday 2 July to Sunday 7 July. Other exhibit subjects this year include the science of sporting success and the search for the origin of the universe. Entry is free.